Long Beach will once again become the center for fashionable music fans as ComplexCon returns to the Long Beach Convention Center.
The event, which runs Nov. 19- 20, is organized by Complex, an online magazine and media company that covers pop culture, music, sports and sneaker culture with a focus on hip-hop music and culture.
ComplexCon is a mix of a cutting-edge mall and hip-hop festival, where guests can shop for shoes, clothes, hats and other fashionable items and at the end of the weekend, there’s a live concert.
First launched in Long Beach in 2016, the event returned to an in-person experience last year after hosting a virtual ComplexCon in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Here’s what you need to know before attending ComplexCon this weekend.
The Fashion
ComplexCon is where people come to find what’s next in fashion. Dozens of pop-up stores set up for the weekend, selling their newest products and special collaborations. Fans can also expect surprise drops with items that have yet-to-be-revealed to the general public. According to the ComplexCon website, some of the retailers on hand this year will include: Nike, Human Made, Awake NY, Victor Victor, Billionaire Boys Club, Converse and Crocs.
There could also be some fashion debates, too, at the Sneaker of the Year panel on Saturday, when sneaker heads like DJ Clark Kent, along with rappers Jadakiss and Jim Jones and others, discuss their choices for the best sneaker of 2022. ComplexCon usually attracts fashion-conscious celebrities as well. In previous years, artists like Offset, Rihanna, Vince Staples and Wiz Khalifa have been spotted shopping around the convention.
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The Music
ComplexCon is as much about edgy music as it is about fashion and in the past, artists like A$AP Rocky, N.E.R.D., trap music pioneer Gucci Mane, M.I.A. and Young Thug have performed as the Sunday night headliners.
This year, the Sunday evening headlining spot belongs to Japanese fashion designer Nigo, who will be performing his sophomore studio album “I Know Nigo.” The album is filled with collaborations and his performance is scheduled to feature several guests including Pusha T, Kodak Black, Teriyaki Boys, The Slump God and a couple of surprises. The album also features collaborations with Pharrell, Tyler the Creator, A$AP Rocky and several others.
Unlike previous conventions, the Sunday concert is a separate ticketed event and not included with general admission or two-day passes to ComplexCon.
How to go
ComplexCon is taking place Nov. 19 and 20 at the Long Beach Convention Center, located at 300 E. Ocean Boulevard. Hours are 11 a.m.-7 p.m. for general admission and 9 a.m.-7 p.m. for VIP. Single-day general admission tickets are $90; Two-day general admission tickets are $150; and VIP passes are $600 with the Sunday concert included. Add-on tickets for the Sunday Nigo show are $5-$15. All passes are available at complexcon.com.